This invention relates to consumable lance devices for introducing oxygen or other gases such as argon below the surface of a molten metal bath. It relates specifically to consumable lance devices for injecting oxygen below the surface of a molten metal bath to raise the temperature of the bath prior to continuous casting or pouring into teeming ingots.
At present, consumable lance devices include straight longitudinal conduits for injecting gases below the surface of a molten metal bath. However, the present invention is directed to the selection of the number, size and arrangement of such straight longitudinal conduits to maximize lance life in consumable lances having varying dimensions and oxygen flow rates.